I Won't Say I'm In Love
by MitsukiJunko
Summary: She heard him say 'it' not once, but twice. She knew her feelings won't reach him. Can she change his mind or just give up half way?


**Hello Everyone! This is my first one shot. I just want to share this because I have an inspiration like Sakuno does. I hope you like this. Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: Just figment of my imaginations and fantasies. Not the owner of POT.**

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**I Won't Say I'm in Love**

His eyes were curiously staring at those Purple Lilacs in front of him. He then shifted his eyes to the person who was holding them. No doubt about it, it was an auburn braided girl who was behind it. She was acting so weird and red all over. Not even looking at him. _What's the matter with this girl? Why does she presenting those to me? _He thought.

The girl suddenly spoke;

"Uhmm, R-ryoma-kun, I-I know that y-you don't know me well. I-I know that you don't remember my name but-but-" The girl stuttered. He saw how firmly she closed her eyes as she jerked the flowers to him. He held the flowers out of reflexes. "P-please, just accept these." She finally said as she dashed out away from him.

Ryoma stared at the flowers unintentionally. _Why purple lilacs?_ He thought. He then suddenly remembered the meaning of the flowers. He twitched on the thought. She was right and at the same time, wrong. He knows the girl alright but he doesn't know her name. All he knows was she is his coach's granddaughter. She is one of his fans and a cheerleader as well. How can he not remember her if she's always present to see his practices and matches everyday? He stared at the flowers again. Somehow he can not seem to put it down.

"…Stupid girl." He whispered.

**xxx**

"Did you give them to him, Sakuno-chan?" Tomoka asked her.

"Y-yeah, I-I followed what you advised me to do. W-well, Tomo-chan, why did you ask me to give them to him?" Sakuno asked her looking embarrassed.

"You don't know what purple lilac mean?" Tomoka retorted.

Sakuno shook her head.

"Haha you're useless. I'll tell you, that's-" She whispered the meaning of the flowers.

"F-fir-st l-lo-" Sakuno couldn't finish her sentences. She distanced herself to her best friend. She blushed a lot on the thought.

Tomoka just laughed widely. "You are funny, yeah; it seems that you just declared your feelings to our Ryoma-sama. I was planning to do that myself but I know that he won't accept it."

"M-mou, Tomo-chan. It was so embarrassing. Now I can't face him because of that." She was bright red when she said that.

"Hello, we are going to cheer for him, remember? And we are going to do that everyday." Tomoka proclaimed.

"B-but-"

"No buts okay. Now let's go and let's cheer for Ryoma-sama." Tomoka said dragging Sakuno along.

**xxx **

He was practicing with Momoshiro when he saw that a familiar-face-but-not-her-name girl approaching the fence. Ryoma smirked and Momoshiro noticed that.

"Hey, why are you smirking there? Pay attention Echizen or I'll make you lose on purpose." Momoshiro retorted.

"che, that's not gonna happen." They continued the match and in the end Ryoma won the match. "I won on purpose, Momo-senpai." Ryoma teased his senpai.

"Why,you-" Momoshiro grabbed him locked him up to his elbow.

"Way to go, Takeshi. Ochibi can be tricky sometimes." Eiji said.

"Another match won by Echizen." Fuji said.

"L-let go, Senpai. You are choking me." Ryoma complained as he saw the girl at the corner of his eyes who was about to leave. _Where is she going?_ He thought. Momoshiro noticed that he stopped struggling and his kouhai was looking over the fence. He understands that so he released him out of the blue.

"Go and follow you girlfriend, Echizen." Momoshiro said.

"What? Who's my girlfriend?" Ryoma said with an irritating voice.

"Yeah, she's going somewhere." Eiji said.

"She's not my girlfriend." Ryoma insisted the truth.

"Yeah, yeah. If you don't go now, I'll have you drink my special juice." Inui butted in as he present the greenish liquid in a bottle.

Ryoma startled thinking about drinking the juice, as well as the three regulars.

"Ok,Ok. I'll go now." Ryoma said as he held his cap down and sighed big. He then left the court.

"You three, why did you send him away? We are not done with the practice yet. As for your punishment, you have to run for 50 laps." Tezuka ordered them.

"B-but Buchou, Inui helped us too and-" Eiji didn't finish his words when Tezuka and Inui glared at him at the same time. "Okay, okay. I'll run. We will run." He said as they started running.

**xxx**

Ryoma walked to the path that he thinks she would go.

_Why am I doing this crap? _Ryoma thought as he walked at his destination. And he was right; she was there at the vending machine, buying three cans of ponta. He called her when got closer.

"Hey."

He saw her flinched as she slowly turned to face him. _This girl is bright red as always._ He thought.

"R-ryoma-kun." She started. She walked towards him and gave a can of ponta to him. "H-here. I-I know that you are thirsty so I will give you this." She bashfully said.

He nodded as an acknowledgement.

"I'll see you then." She said as she walked passed through him as quickly as possible. But she eventually stopped when she heard him saying:

"Ryuzaki Sakuno from class 1-1. Good at all academic subjects except English. Loves baking."

She faced him with a shocked on her face. Ryoma just faced her on his shoulder. "Don't tell me that I don't know you."

He walked the opposite way after he said that. She was left behind blushing all over.

_Che, I just happened to have heard those information a while ago. _Ryoma thought, sticking his tongue out.

**xxx**

Everything was going smoothly. But ever since she gave him those purple lilacs, her embarrassment became wider and redder. She can not face him even just a second nor talk to him for a minute. As the result, she made lots of mistakes in front of Ryoma. It was doing great until that fateful day.

**After one week:**

Sakuno was on her way to her classroom when she heard Ryoma shouting with his senpais in the corridor at the corner part of it.

"Stop it, I told you there is nothing going on between us." Ryoma was irritated already. They keep bragging him about their relationship.

"So, that's why she didn't give you those purple lilacs a week ago because there is nothing going on between you and Ryuzaki-chan?" Momoshiro set a teasing look on his face.

Sakuno flinched on what she heard. She hid herself so that no one can see her.

"And who told you that they're from hers?" Ryoma retorted as he strongly denied it. Sakuno was somewhat upset on his words.

"Who else does this belong to? It would be impossible to believe if you are going to accept Osakada-san's flowers." Momoshiro added.

Ryoma flinched. They were right. He'd rather accepts flowers from anyone except from her. She's annoying and very loud. He couldn't believe that she is her best friend.

"I am right. The flowers belong to Ryuzaki-chan. Why don't you confess to her already, Ochibi." Eiji said. "You are really looking good together.

"What are you saying? There's no way that I'm going to do it. I'll never fall in love with her. I won't say it. Never!" Ryoma snapped.

Sakuno was shocked on what she had heard. It was really painful especially to the one that she admired a lot. Every word was heavy that it was absorbing in her mind. She slowly left the place she was hiding preventing to make a sound. And when she was far from them, she started to run…and cry.

"Don't say things that you haven't tried yet, Echizen, you are going to eat what you said soon, believe me." Fuji said.

"Then stop nagging me about this issue and leave me alone." Ryoma complained to them as he started to walk away from them.

They decided not to follow their kouhai. They just shook they head almost amazingly at the same time.

**xxx **

She went to the rooftop. Luckily no one was there, so she cried her heart out. She went at the corner when no one can see her if someone appeared. She looks pathetic right now. She could cry in silence. Ryoma's words still are ringing to her ears. So, no matter what she does, he will never love her. At least, a little admiration from him can make her heart skip a beat. But she thought that even the possible smallest things could never happen. He said it to himself. She knew now how it feels like to be rejected by the one you admired the most. Even though it's not directly verbalize to you. She lost confidence that she doesn't know what to do. Everything turns out to be outside down now.

**Three Days Later:**

**Tennis Practice, after school:**

He noticed something odd about her. She seems to be out of energy unlike the previous days. Though, she cheered for the team but not as energetic as before. When she looked at him out of the blue, he saw her frowned and looked away from him in an instant. That annoyed him. _What's gotten to that girl? Is she having a tantrum?_ Ryoma thought to himself showing his usual stoic face.

Actually, he's not the only one noticed that. The regulars and the coach saw that too. So after the practice, they called Sakuno into the court before she leaves the area and they started the interrogation.

"Hey, Ryuzaki-chan, are you troubled with something? You are not your usual self these days." Momshiro asked the girl.

"U-uhn, n-no, I don't. D-don't worry about me, Sempai. I'm ok." Sakuno said forcing a smile in her face.

"Are you certain about that? Ryoma's fan girls aren't bullying you, are you? The mother hen asked her.

"Y-yeah, no one's bullying me. I am perfectly fine." She added.

"Don't hesitate to tell us if you have problems. If someone's bullying you, I will kick their butt! Eiji firmly said performing a kicking position.

"Uhn. I-I will." Sakuno said. But Fuji doubted her words something was not right. He put his arm to Sakuno's shoulder and said something.

"Hey, Echizen! Why don't you give your girlfriend a piece of advice here?" He saw his Kouhai flinched. He shifted his look at the young damsel only to wonder. She looked pained and hurt. Although she still blushed, but he can sense that it was not an admiration. She can not even look straight at his eyes.

Before Ryoma could speak, Sakuno interrupted who just regained her composure. She released herself from Fuji and said:

"S-sempai-tachi. I told you. I am ok. I-I may have problems but I can solve them. I promise. But thank you for worrying about me." Sakuno bowed after that. "I-I'll go now. T-tomo-chan is waiting for me. P-please tell Obaa-chan that I'll take my leave first." She added and left the court.

Everyone left speechless and then they slowly turn their pace to their young kouhai. It freaked him out when they all looked at him at the same time.

"W-what?" Ryoma asked with an annoying tune.

Eiji suddenly grabbed him and gave him a punishable hug. "What did you do Ochibi, why is she acting like that?"

"I didn't- do anything. Let..go…can't…breathe." Ryoma was annoyed already.

"Can't you see that? She's avoiding you." Fuji retorted.

"That's ridiculous." Ryoma said touching his neck when he finally freed himself from Eiji.

"Do something, Echizen. Know the reason why she's acting like that" Momoshiro ordered.

"And why would I do that, it is just a waste of time." Ryoma complained.

"JUST DO WHAT WE TOLD YOU!" The regulars shouted to him at the same time.

Ryoma just covered his ears. _They are freaking annoying_. He thought to himself.

**xxx**

Ryoma was walking in the hallway on his way to his classroom. He remembered something; her class was just next to his class. When he reached her class, (He always passes her class before reaching his. Though, he didn't pay attention before.) He instantly saw her there, talking to that loudmouthed friend of hers and some classmates. It feels that they are interrogating her like his sempais did to her yesterday. She saw him with that forced smile again.

_Something was definitely wrong with this girl._ He thought. He can easily notice that she was faking her smile. Only stupid people, who wouldn't know that. He also noticed the sad look in her eyes that they just cried a lot. He just shook his head and decided to leave the area before someone sees him from her class and cause a commotion or worst, her.

**xxx**

She needed to be careful now. Everyone is noticing how upset she was. She had to act normal like before so that no one will question her again. She composed herself as hard as she can and hoped that no one will notice the real deal.

She was on her way to the cooking club room to bring back some cooking ingredients that she just washed from the outside. For some reason the sink in the club room was somewhat broken so she had to wash it outside. So there she was right now. And then someone called her.

"Ryuzaki."

She flinched when she heard a certain person calling her that. Although, it a surname, that doesn't change the fact the he called her that for the first time. She then turned to him.

"R-ryoma-kun." She tried to act normal.

"You're going to the club room?" Ryoma asked for the obvious.

"h-hai."

She saw him stared for a while examining her face. She became conscious at his stare. So she turned away. Not long before he said something:

"Let me help you." Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed some cooking ingredients from her hands and walked on ahead. She didn't have the chance to protest so she just sighed.

When they reached the club room, they put every ingredient in place. She thanked him for helping her and she told him that she needed to go. She hasn't taken two steps when Ryoma said something:

"What's your problem?"

She forced to face him and asked. "W-what are you talking about?

"You are not okay. I can notice it. So tell me." Ryoma ordered her.

She couldn't talk. She doesn't know what to say. _How can this guy be so dense? He's doubling the pain I already had._ She painfully thought. "I-I'm okay, really. Probably because of the weather and the busy work that's why I am a bit stress. Don't worry." She tried to smile.

She knew that he was about to say something so she interrupted: "I-I need to go now, t-thank you for helping me again, Ryoma-kun." She made a quick bow and ran afterwards not waiting for his reply. If she will stay there any longer with him, she may blurt out all the things that made her upset. She cried once again.

**Another Week had passed:**

She tried her best to act normal. At least she thought. Her friends stopped talking about the issue. Although, whenever she encounters Ryoma in the hallway, she quickly hides herself from him before he sees her. She can not take the risk of talking to him alone. She still cheers for the team with her best friend along with the trio. Everything was still okay, except for Ryoma. And that reality saddens her.

**xxx**

Ryoma was really annoyed these past dew days. He doesn't really know what he did wrong to that girl. He can still notice her sudden change of attitude towards him. And since he's not used to that, it irritates him. He was never bothered by this before. What's happening to him? He lied down to his bed. Karupin jumped next to him, asking a little comfort. He brushed its hair that it created a sound. He then remembered the purple lilacs the auburn braided girl gave her. He never did this kind of thing but he just did. He inserted some flowers to his favorite English book. Although the flowers were withered, the appearance still has its form. He smiled on the thought when he remembered the face of the girl the moment she gave the flowers to him. Somehow, he wished that he can still see that look to her face…someday.

**Monday, after school, before practice:**

The regulars were still bothered by it. Their coach's granddaughter was definitely feeling sullen despite the fact that she was just hiding it from her smile. So once again, they confronted their youngest kouhai in the lead of Fuji.

"Hey, Echizen. You still don't know what's bothering our little Ryuzaki-chan?" Fuji asked.

Ryoma glared at Fuji. He doesn't like the sound of it. "She doesn't tell me, how can I know?"

"Then do something. We are not happy on what we are seeing to her. I am also worried." Oishi said.

"Talk to her more often, Echizen." Momoshiro added.

"Why are all ordering me? Why don't you talk to her yourself?" Ryoma retorted.

Meanwhile Sakuno and Tomoka were on their way to the court. And when they are near there, they suddenly heard the regulars talking about her. She asked her best friend to hide for a while.

"You know that you are the only one who she can open up to. So she can definitely say what's bothering her." Momoshiro said.

_So they are still worried about me._ Sakuno thought. Tomoka noticed her sad face. She tugged her and whispered: "what's wrong?"

"N-nothing, I-I just remembered something." They stopped talking when they heard Ryoma spoke.

"I did speak to her for several times but the answers were still the same."

"Convince her to tell the truth. You can do more than that." Inui said.

"Ochibi, aren't you worried about your girlfriend being sad these past few days? Why don't you make her happy?" Eiji said.

"Yeah, we can not see her smile anymore. Looking blush all over when she sees you. We all missed that." Fuji said.

"Then do all the things that will make her blush, and besides she's not my girlfriend." Ryoma was getting annoyed already. He hates it when someone initiates something that he didn't start.

"Well, you can only do that. Tell her, how you feel about about her." Momoshiro grinned after.

"After that she will definitely blush." Eiji added.

The crowd became noisy around Ryoma while the two girls were secretly waiting for his reply, quietly.

Ryoma couldn't take the teasing senpais that he finally snapped.

"Shut up! Why are you bringing this all up? I'm not going to say it. I won't say I'm in love with her. NEVER!" Ryoma was almost shouted on the words. The regulars were all speechless.

There was a moment of silent.

And then a noise was created outside the fence. Everyone looked outside including Ryoma. It was Tomoka.

"Ryoma-sama, you are so cruel. So don't have to say it that way." Tomoka accused the tennis prodigy.

"che" that's all he could say. But his eyes widened as well as the regulars' when Sakuno appeared out of the blue. They saw a tiny shed of tears when she spoke.

"Y-you don't have to s-say it twice." Sakuno firmly closed her eyes before running away. Tomoka tried to stop her but she was already gone.

"Twice? What does she mean by that?" Tomoka asked.

"-ahh, Ryuzaki-chan heard us before." Eiji remembered the first conversation they had.

"I guess we finally solved the problem why she was acting so strange these days." Fuji said.

"It is not solve yet." Inui said as he turned to Ryoma. "What are still doing here? Do something. It is your mess after all. You started it, you must finish it."

"Be a man, Man! Or are you just an Ochibi forever?" Eiji said.

Ryoma glared at Eiji and said:

"Darn it." He ran afterwards.

After Ryoma left, Tomoka blocked herself so that no one can follow.

"Let them have this day for once. Please senpais." Tomoka pleaded.

The regulars just looked at each other and to one another. They just smiled as an agreement.

**xxx**

She doesn't know where her feet were leading her. She doesn't care if she lost somewhere in the school grounds. She was aware that she's climbing the stairs. She couldn't stop crying. She didn't realize that hearing that from him for the second time could be more painful. She thought of giving him up this time. She knew that he will never return her love. Giving up was the easiest thing. She guessed. When she reached the door, she continued running. She noticed that she was on the rooftop. She needs to breathe some fresh air. Her thought was distracted when someone grabbed her left wrist. That stopped her from running. She turned to the person only to be shocked.

It was Ryoma catching for his breath as well.

Sakuno tried to struggle but Ryoma won't let go of her wrist. He was also holding hers with his right hand. "S-stop it, Ryoma-kun. W-what do you want now? L-let me go."

"Not until you'll listen to me first." Ryoma said still holding her.

"F-for what? I-It's okay now. I-I'll stop. I won't bother you anymore. I know t-that it irritates you when I make a lot of mistakes. I'll stop now." Sakuno said between her sobs. She couldn't stop crying now.

"Ryuzaki."

"L-let me go now. P-please." But Ryoma only gripped her wrist more tightly. Sakuno felt that. "I-it hurts. P-please stop making more of it." Sakuno pleaded.

Ryoma snapped again. And said: "that does it." After that, he leaned Sakuno on the wall next to her, pinning her left wrist with his right hand on the wall while he held her face with his left hand. He tilted her face a little to her left. She was shocked that she can not move.

She tried to look at him. He is glaring at her and she saw him leaning closer to her face. She tilted her own face more. Her eyes were shut firmly while her left wrist was clasping tightly where his hand was holding. She felt something was touched on her cheek.

Wait.

She opened her eyes. Shocked. Was he kissing her on her cheek? It can't be. She can still feel the tears falling down her cheek and well as the kiss he is giving her. She then felt his lips were parting her cheek but he leaned to her ears and said:

"That's right, I won't say it." Ryoma started. But before she could protest again he continued. "At least out loud I won't."

There was a minute of silent.

Sakuno's eyes became widen when he whispered 'I love you' to her ears. After that he slowly released her. He stared at her for a minute. _She's back to normal._ He thought. He felt relieve after seeing her like that. She stopped crying but she was blushing.

"Now you know. I think we understand each other now. So stop avoiding me" Ryoma said still staring at her as he began to walk away.

Sakuno was left behind trying to remember what really happened. She collapsed to the ground feeling restless and the realization came to her.

"H-he l-loves me…" she said to herself.

x**xx**

Sakuno woke up because of the consecutive message alert tones on her cellphone. She looked at the clock it was almost 5 in the morning. She couldn't sleep because of what happened yesterday. She tried to reach her phone and read the message on the first list.

_How long are gonna make me wait? Wake up now. I am waiting._

"W-who is this?" Sakuno asked herself as she was rubbing her eyes. The number was not registered on her phone. She looked more on her messages. She received a lot with the same sender and the message was like that. She felt nervous at first. What if it was a stalker? She felt scared all over. Until she read the very first message the sender sent to her.

_Meet me at the tennis court at 5am sharp. Don't be late. Ryoma._

Her eyes widen. It was Ryoma, and to think of him as a stalker? That's the ridiculous thing she ever thinks of. But how did he know her number? She never answered that as she looked up at the clock once again. It was five and she was late. She hurried and left the house. She tried to run as fast as she can. She reached the court at past five. She was panting when she saw Ryoma playing with his tennis alone. When he noticed her presence he stopped.

"You're late."

"S-sorry." She paused for a while and then asked him something: U-hhm, h-how did you know my number?"

"I have my sources, but that don't matter" He shrugged.

She blushed. Ryoma missed that a lot but he will never admit that to her. The girl asked again:

"W-why did you ask me go here so early in the morning?" Sakuno wondered.

"Can't you tell?" Ryoma asked her back

Sakuno stared at him. There's only one thing that enters her mind. "b-but I didn't bring my racket with me today." She felt a little regret not thinking that he asked her to go to the court.

"Not that silly, let's go on a date." Ryoma said as he walked towards a bench where his ponta was placed and sat there.

"D-date?" Sakuno was shocked. He just declared a date to her.

"That's what a couple should do, isn't it?" Ryoma said staring at her seriously. "I just don't want some stupid senpais who might trail us down if we don't go this morning." He explained.

Sakuno blushed on the thought. Ryoma tapped his side giving sign that she should sit beside him. She hesitated at first but she accepted the offer. She sat beside him. After that, Ryoma gave something to her. She was very shocked. It was a bouquet of daisies. She felt embarrassed afterwards. Ryoma continued to drink his ponta.

"Do you know the meaning of those purple lilacs you gave me before?" Ryoma asked.

Sakuno remembered what Tomoka told her. Then she bashfully nodded.

"Then do you know the meaning of daisies?" He asked again.

She nodded again. After she learned the meaning of purple lilacs, she search for the other flowers' meaning and daisies are one of the easiest meanings she can remember.

"I think innocence, purity and…loyal love." Sakuno said with her face was bright red.

"That's right, but you are missing one meaning." Ryoma said.

She tried to remember it but she can not. "W-what is it?"

Ryoma stood up as he threw his empty can of ponta in the trash can at a distance. It shoots perfectly. He said:

"It is simple because…" Ryoma turned to her slightly on his shoulder. "…I will never tell."

**~ end ~**

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**I'm done with my first one shot. What do you think of this one? I have a lot of ideas coming to me. But I think I'll have that in my next stories. Stay tuned for my other one shot. For those who haven't read my first story please feel free to read it. I am just asking for your free time. Just visit my profile. That's all. Arigatou guzaimasu!**

**Please review.**


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